International credit card giant Mastercard has become the latest commercial partner of tennis’ Billie Jean King Cup (BJK Cup) women’s national team tournament.
Through a new global partnership unveiled yesterday, Mastercard becomes the first partner of the BJK Cup’s global rankings list, and additionally will sponsor the annual tournament’s team of the year award.
Mastercard will also activate around the BJK Cup Finals - which will take place this year in Shenzhen, China, across September 16 to 21 - offering its cardholders benefits that include behind-the-scenes access to the host venue, participation during the coin toss, and privileged pre-sale ticketing access.
Speaking on the deal, Mastercard chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar commented: “With tennis gaining momentum across the globe, partnering with the Billie Jean King Cup allows us to connect with fans in exciting new ways as we support what is sure to be a vibrant future for the sport.”
Outside of the BJK Cup, Mastercard has partnered a number of major tennis tournaments, including being a long-time supporter of the French Open (Roland Garros) and Australian Open Grand Slam majors.
Organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) governing body, the BJK Cup boasts a strong partnership roster that includes title sponsor Gainbridge (which will support the competition through 2027).
Other sponsors of the event include global technology giant Microsoft, cosmetics company E.L.F Beauty, fashion brand Tory Burch, and sports betting operator Stake.com.
In April, the ITF also extended its media rights tie-up with major global sports agency Sportfive, which will continue to distribute the BJK Cup’s media rights in the Asia-Pacific (excluding Australia and China) and former Soviet Union regions.
Specifically, that deal covers the qualifiers, finals, and play-offs of the Billie Jean King Cup, as well as the first and second rounds of qualifiers for the men’s equivalent competition, the Davis Cup, and its Final Eight tournament as well.
Participating sides in the 2025 BJK Cup, the lineup of which was decided by qualifiers in April, include defending champions Italy, second seed the UK, third seed the US, and fourth seed Spain, with hosts China, and qualifiers Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Japan rounding out the eight competitors.
